Foundation SUN David Swallow has put pen to paper on a new deal that will see him commit to the Gold Coast until the end of the 2019 season.
In a letter to members and fans, Swallow confirmed his contract extension, highlighting his passion for the club and his teammates as the key to his re-signing.
“The Gold Coast SUNS mean so much to me, I love the club, my teammates, coaches, fans and the Gold Coast and I’m rapt to be continuing my career here,” he said.
“I am excited as anyone about 2017, we have recruited so well, I am super impressed with the new players who have joined the club and the boys are training the house down.”
It’s been a tough slog for the 24-year-old, who failed to play a senior game in 2016 and managed just six games in 2015 after being dogged by on-going PCL troubles for the past two years.
But now that he has regained fitness and confidence in his knee, Swallow is ready to recapture the form that saw him snap Gary Ablett’s three year strong hold on the club championship when he was awarded the club’s best & fairest in 2014.
“The last couple of seasons have been challenging for me on a personal level and I appreciate the support I have received from all of you during this time,” Swallow said.
“This is probably a strange thing to say, because many players hate the thought of the long hard yards of pre-season training, but I am really enjoying being back out on the track.
“Feeling the pain from training as hard as you can is a pain I haven’t experienced in a long time and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be in that position.”
Swallow has been in SUNS colours since the age of 16, when he first relocated from Perth to play in the club’s inaugural VFL team, before being taken with the number one selection in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft ahead of Gold Coast’s debut season in the national competition.